Dig deep enough inside the mind of even the most timid, placid and complacent person and you'll find a potential gun-toting psychopathic killer bursting to get out. Perhaps that's why Taito's Operation Wolf did so well in the arcades. Probably the most controversial coin-op of the year (or indeed any year), it revived the long-dead arcade tradition of machines with light guns bolted onto the cabinet that shoot down on-screen targets. Shark Attack, Hogan's Alley, Duck Hunt and Wild Gunman have all utilised the light gun feature in the past, but none were ever really successful, as the plastic guns with squeaky triggers were never quite enough to give the player the feeling of actually shooting people. Operation Wolf changed all that. The gun it featured was a full size metal replica of the Uzi 9mm sub-machine gun. Better still, it was hydraulically powered, as it juddered, vibrated and kicked when it was fired - just like the real thing!

The blatant killing and violent massacre on a huge scale that made Operation Wolf so enjoyable also served to plunge it into controversy, and there were cries of it being ideologically unsound and the crazed 'come an' get it, muther!' expressions on the faces of Operation Wolf players around the country served to strengthen this theory. This, however, didn't stop Ocean from snapping up the licence a while back and farming the job of conversion out to some guys in France who then went on to boast that they could get the conversion to be arcade perfect. And it looks like they were right.

'Operation Wolf' is the codename of the mission that you, a crack commando known only as Lone Wolf have been ordered to undertake. A small foreign military power has kidnapped VIPs and is holding them hostage in a concentration camp. Unless the fanatical dictator's demands are met, they'll all bite the dust. Your job is to stop that happening by rescuing the hapless hostages. Armed with an Uzi 9mm fitted with a nifty clip-on anti-tank rocket launcher you parachute into hostile territory and the operation is under way.

The enemy territory is split into six sectors, and completing one allows access to the next. Each sector scrolls slowly vertically towards a fixed point at the end. The enemy troops appear on screen before you even get a chance to admire the scenery and begin blasting away at you like there's no tomorrow. This is where the fun starts.

Hold down the mouse button to send a stream of bullets strafing across the screen and wipe out any enemy troops in the way. There's no shortage of soldiers though, and swift reactions are needed to keep they dying before they get an chance to shoot you. To make matters worse, an irate soldier occasionally rushes onto the screen and opens fire at point blank range! They only appear on screen for about two seconds so you need to be quick to plug them.

Before long, support troops arrive on the scene in the form of motorcycle outriders, jeeps, armoured cars and helicopters that roll onto the screen at regular intervals, dishing out awesome firepower. This is whore the rocket launcher comes in handy. Hit the right hand mouse button and an AT grenade is sent searing across the screen. If targeted correctly, this blows the mischievous vehicles to pieces, probably taking a few soldiers with it in the process. Use the grenades wisely, as they're in short supply (as indeed are your machine gun bullets). Luckily you can replenish your armaments by shooting the weapon magazines and rockets that appear on the ground from time to time. It's also possible to refresh your health level in the same manner.

One of the most classic shooters ever made. I would thing you were lying if you told me you haven't seen this game around one of the play machines around your block. This game is probably the one that has gotten most success through these kind of machines. It was also the first game to feature a gun which you control instead of some different buttons.

The overall goal in Operation Wolf is to kill as many soldiers, helicopters and tanks while you fight your way through the different levels. I'm not a big fan of these games, but I can see why a game like this got so popular as it did.